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Jailed Italian politicians will continue to receive their salary after a request by the Five Star Movement (M5S) to have a former Democratic Party MP's salary frozen was rejected.

Francantonio Genovese, a former mayor of the Sicilian city of Messina, has continued to be paid his parliamentary allowance since being placed under house arrest in May over fraud allegations.

Beppe Grillo’s M5S had asked for the monthly net payment of €5,246 to be frozen as well as the salaries of others “who are subjected to any restriction of their freedom”, including MPs in jail, to be stopped.

“Political parties pay the salary of MPs in jail,” Luigi Di Maio, an M5S MP was quoted in La Stampa as saying, arguing that Italian citizens bear the brunt.

The M5S also asked for the salaries and pensions of jailed former MPs, especially those convicted of crimes related to the mafia and corruption, to be scrapped.

But Italy’s Chamber of Deputies rejected the request, saying that a new law would need to be adopted to enable it to cancel the paycheck of those who end up in custody.

Italy's MPs are among the highest paid in Europe, something that Matteo Renzi pledged to change before being appointed prime minister in February.